There are many different types of nebulizers and humidifiers which employ a structure that facilitates the mixing of gas and vapor to supply a patient with an inhalable fluid mixture for breathing and medicinal purposes. It is common practice to provide a combination of oxygen and air and to subject this pure gas or a combination thereof to moisture so that the moisture is entrained in the gas flow path and the mixture is introduced to the patient. The vapor which is commonly used as the moistening agent is effective in easing the breathing of a person particularly one who is ill and has respiratory problems.
It is often difficult to achieve the desired vapor and avoid the presence of liquid droplets in the gas and liquid mixture. On the other hand, insufficient moisture in the gas does not produce the desired humidifying effect. Accordingly, it is most desirable to provide the best possible mixture of gas and vapor for the comfort of the patient.
In certain instances, a bubbling action is employed whereby the gas is bubbled through liquid and in that manner accumulates vapor as part of the mixture which is transferred from the humidifier to the patient. This type of system is noisy and can cause patient discomfort or irritation due to the noise. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a humidifier which facilitates the formation of a mixture of gas and vapor for the most beneficial effect on a patient without undesirable noise associated with the use of the humidifier. An additional problem is patient discomfort due to droplets of liquid forming in the system which work their way through the system to the mask or nasal cannula directly connected to the patient's face. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a humidifier which overcomes this difficulty as well.
The type of environment where the type of humidifier under consideration is most desirable is in the medical profession where a desired consistency of mixture of gas and vapor is introduced to a patient to ease breathing difficulties and in some cases to introduce medicaments which may be included in the vapor to the patient. It is always desirable with the type of humidifier under consideration to avoid the presence of droplets of liquid which indicates too much moisture and also the converse difficulty of lack of sufficient moisture so that virtually only gas is introduced to the patient which can cause irritation and potential breathing difficulties particularly over an extended period of time.
Examples of humidifiers with which this invention is applicable are depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,572,660; 3,874,379 and 3,836,079.